Victor Rendón is a sought after New York City timbalero/drummer, who is co-leader of The Latin Jazz Orchestra, and sideman with Mongo Santamaria, Chico O'Farrill, Carlos "Patato" Valdéz, Ray Santos, Grupo Caribe, The Latin Jazz Coalition, Los Más Valientes and many others. Rendón's work has appeared in Modern Drummer, DRUM!, Percussive Notes, and Warner Bros. Publications.

The Art of Playing Timbales is designed for the beginning timbalero, or drumset player, who wants to understand how to play Afro-Cuban music in a professional setting. If you have just purchased a pair of timbales, this book will teach you everything from proper setup, stick sizes, rhythms, independence, transitions, song forms, and SOLOING. Each music example has a corresponding track number which can be found on the CD. Simply read the music exercises, and listen to the corresponding track number on your CD player.

A complete Afro-Cuban percussion work-out. Each exercise on timbales is also arranged for drumset. Conga and bongo students will find their parts in each section of the book and CD. Please note: to take full advantage of this book, students are encouraged to learn each part for timbales, drumset, congas, and bongos.

Each section features play-along CHARTS and CD TRACKS with some of NY's top Latino musicians: Sergio Rivera (piano), Victor Venegas (bass), Heriberto Rivera (bongo), Aníbal "Tito" Rivera (congas), and Victor Rendón (timbales and drumset). By using these play-along charts you will gain valuable realistic playing experience that will directly translate to your school ensemble or professional group.

Modern Drummer Magazine: Victor Rendon has done the improbable: He has made it possible for a wide range of drummer/percussionists to approach the art of timbales without fear of failure. Rendon breaks down the daunting clave structure so that we all can relate, and demonstrates how the instruments of the Afro-Cuban percussion section (timbales, congas, bongos, and sometimes drumset) function as a unit. Learning to play timbales (or to emulate their rhythms on drumset) makes any drummer more valuable on the bandstand, and Rendon's instructional method is as clear as it's going to get. The author's clarity in presentation is further enriched by his discussion of the evolution of Latin rhythms and instruments, and by his richly detailed interviews with master timbaleros. Victor Rendon has worked with giants like Mongo Santamaria and Patato Valdes, and has taught music for years within the New York community, and now he's authored the most authoritative book on the "original" Latin drumkit. Viva timbales!